5-min mindfulness audio induction alleviates psychological distress and sleep disorders in patients with COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Mindfulness meditation is beneficial to mitigate the negative effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the general population, but no study examined such meditation in the COVID-19 patients themselves. AIM: To explore the short-term efficacy of mindfulness meditation in alleviating psychological distress and sleep disorders in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: This prospective study enrolled patients with mild COVID-19 treated at Wuhan Fangcang Hospital in February 2020. The patients were voluntarily divided into either a mindfulness or a conventional intervention group. The patients were evaluated before/after the intervention using the Short Inventory of Mindfulness Capability (SMI-C), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). RESULTS: Seventy-five participants were enrolled in this study, with 43 and 32 in the mindfulness and conventional groups, respectively. Before the intervention, there were no differences in SMI-C, HADS, or PSQI scores between the two groups. After the 2-wk intervention, the mindfulness level (from 30.16 ± 5.58 to 35.23 ± 5.95, P < 0.001) and sleep quality (from 12.85 ± 3.06 to 9.44 ± 3.86, P < 0.001) were significantly increased in the mindfulness group. There were no differences in the conventional group. After the intervention, the mindfulness level (35.23 ± 5.95 vs 31.17 ± 6.50, P = 0.006) and sleep quality (9.44 ± 3.86 vs 11.87 ± 4.06, P = 0.011) were significantly higher in the mindfulness group than in the conventional group. Depression decreased in the mindfulness group (from 14.15 ± 3.21 to 12.50 ± 4.01, P = 0.038), but there was no difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Short-term mindfulness meditation can increase the mindfulness level, improve the sleep quality, and decrease the depression of patients with COVID-19.

[Establishment of a syngeneic mouse model of liver tumor stably expressing hepatitis B virus antigens].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a syngeneic mouse model of liver tumor stably expressing hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigens. METHODS: Melanoma cell line B16 cells were transfected with pLXSN-2HBV. Cells (named B16/HBV) stably and persistently expressing HBV surface (HBsAg) and core (HBcAg) antigens were identified. The cells were injected into the hepatic subcapsular space of fifteen C57BL/6J mice. The mice were divided into 3 groups, receiving 100, 1000 or 5000 cells in a total volume of 5 µl per mouse, respectively, five mice in each group. Two weeks after the tumor cell inoculation, serum samples from the mice were collected weekly and the serum concentration of HBsAg and anti-HBs was quantified by ELISA. The tumor growth in the mouse liver was monitored by a high-resolution ultrasound system. Expression of HBsAg and HBcAg in the tumor tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Liver tumors were formed in all the mice receiving 1000 and 5000 B16/HBV cells per mouse, and in 80% of the mice receiving 100 B16/HBV cells. HBsAg and anti-HBs were detectable in their sera from 2 weeks after tumor cell inoculation. The mice receiving 100 cells per mouse began to die 4 weeks, those receiving 1000 cells per mouse began to die 3 - 4 weeks and those receiving 5000 cells began to die 2 - 3 weeks after the cell inoculation. All the tumor cells expressed HBsAg and HBcAg. CONCLUSIONS: The B16/HBV cells stably and persistently express HBV antigens both in vitro and in vivo. A mouse model of transplanted liver tumor stably expressing HBV antigens has been successfully established by inoculation of those cells into the hepatic subcapsular space.

[Effect of tetramethylpyrazine on JAK-STAT signal transduction in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy].

AIM: To study the effect of Tetramethylpyrazine (TMZ), the extracts of Chinese Herbs which accelerat blood circulation, on JAK-STAT signal transduction in cardiomyocyte hypertrophy. METHODS: Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy Wistar rats model was established. The cardiomyocytes were seperated from one-day-old neonatal rats. The total RNA of cardiomyocytes was extracted by TRIzol reagent. Then the ANP mRNA were detected by RT-PCR. pJAK2, pJAK1 and pSTAT3 molecules were analysed by Western blot respectively. RESULTS: Statistics analysis showed that TMZ significantly decreased the expression of ANP mRNA in cardiomyocytes (P<0.01), and that TMZ also decreased the levels of pJAK2, pJAK1 or pSTAT3 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: TMZ has the inhibitory effect on JAK-STAT signal transduction in cardiomyocyte hyertrophy, suggesting the clinical application of traditional Chinese medicine on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy treatment.

[Mast cell degranulation enhances exogenous dendritic cells homing to draining lymph nodes].

AIM: To establish a method of enhancing exogenous bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BM-DC) homing to draining lymph nodes by induction of local mast cell degranulation. METHODS: Compound 48/80 (c48/80) was injected into C57BL/6 scapular skin to induce local mast cell degranulation. BM-DC generated from bone marrow of syngenic mice were labeled with YG-Microspheres and injected into c48/80 or normal saline treated scapular skin. Cells derived from draining lymph nodes (DLN) were pooled together 48 h after BM-DC injection and stained with conjugated anti-CD11c. The efficiency of BM-DC homing to lymph nodes was analyzed by FCM. RESULTS: Mast cell degranulation was locally boosted by c48/80 injection and caused enhancement of the homing of exogenous BM-DC to DLN, with an increase of 67%+/-43%. The total cells in lymph nodes also increased significantly. The fold of increase was 55%+/-43%. CONCLUSION: Exogenous BM-DC homing to DLN can be boosted by inducing local skin mast cell degranulation.

Exogenous dendritic cell homing to draining lymph nodes can be boosted by mast cell degranulation.

Dendritic cells (DCs), as potent antigen presenting cells, are increasingly used for immunotherapeutic approaches, predominantly in oncology. Low efficiency of injected Ag-pulsed DC homing to draining lymph nodes (DLNs) is one of the factors that affect the efficacy of therapy. As Langerhans cell emigration was enhanced after skin mast cell degranulation, we investigated the effect of local mast cell activation on exogenous bone marrow-derived DCs (BM-DCs) homing to DLNs. Product of activated MC/9 mast cells enhanced chemotaxis of BM-DCs to CCL21 in vitro. Intradermal injection of compound 48/80 (c48/80) induced local skin mast cell obvious degranulation and boosted exogenous BM-DC homing to DLNs. Both Ag-specific lymphocyte proliferation and TH1/TH2 cytokine production increased after HBsAg-pulsed BM-DC was injected into c48/80 pretreated mice. These results suggest that transferred DC homing to DLNs promoted by local mast cell degranulation may have potential application to improve DC-based immunotherapy.